Needing to feel some "love"

D

danikamae beroñas

New member
hello all...its story time...
remember all that "hoop-la" that i went thru as far as which bike is best for ME? (the 1098 v.s. the rsvr aprilia)...well, after carefully and methodically sending out letters to several dealers about which bike i wanted and what "bling" i wanted on that bike NONE of the dealers responded...NONE!!!
now i have given aprilia more than enough patience...i have given them a second and third chance believing that as long as i am going itialian i can't be wrong...the rsvr is a great bike - but no bike is worth owning if there is no one willing to sell it to you...that is point number 1...
point number 2 - my wife and i had a rather large discussion and she affirms that if her and i really want to 2 up together that it would take an act of congressional logistics due to having a child...sooo....this brings me back to the bike that i originally fell in love with since the very biginning - the sweet and beautiful 1098...
i will post pics when i get her...the internal debate since this is now a 99.99999% only me (not my wife) bike is 1098 or 1098s...i will use it for commute in good weather (about 20 miles - no city lights) and maybe taking it to the track 1-2 times a year...any advice?
i am looking to get this bike asap...
peace and love
i am back
doc
 
Yo Doc Welcome Back. Ya know, it's a strange thing with those Aprilia guys. Don't get me wrong...you know I love the bike, I've got 3....but aside from my dealer (which stopped selling them in '06) I've had terrible luck with the other dealers.

Luckily, I've needed nothing but general maintenance stuff...but it has pissed me off once or twice. Couple years back at the bike show I was trying to gain an audience with the pope...I mean the aprilia rep, acting like the pope. Dude was a complete toolbox, never did stop his crackberry messaging while he devoted about 10 seconds to my question. And I'm the guy with 3 of 'em and he knows it. Hate to say it, but I love the bikes....but am tired of the customer service. Maybe someday they'll come around but I totally agree... Why should you have to sell them on selling you a bike.

1098 = Best bike ever anyway! Congrats, and what color?
 
Congrats on getting to get yourself a new ride. My wife talked me into getting my dream ride a couple of weeks ago before she gets pregnant with our first child. I ended up deciding to go with the 1098S. I didn't get it so much because of the performance aspect, but because it had some things on it that I wanted (Ohlins suspension, machined wheels, etc). I wanted a bike that would stand out from a crowd. Not the standard 1098 doesn't, but since this will be my last new bike for a while...I wanted the extra "bling." I have no regrets about getting the 1098S instead of the base, but it's also a bit of an unfair statement considering I've never ridden the 1098 standard model. I've only been able to log about 30 miles on my 1098S and I think I'm in love with the bike. It makes me want to ride it. Here's a review that I had written based on my short 30 miles. Keep in mind that 30 miles is more of an initial impression than true review...

"So it was too nice out today and I gave into my temptation to go for a short ride. It was my first ride of the year, and also my first ride on my new Ducati 1098S.

The ride itself was uneventful, just a short 30 mile tour on some local main roads. I kept it to main roads since I figured those roads would be cleaner allowing me to break in the new tires.

Some thoughts on the new Ducati. My basis for comparison is my previous bike, a 2002 Honda RC51. This allows for a fair comparison of traits I think.

The first thing I noticed when riding the Ducati is that it feels more like you're riding on it as opposed to in it. The RC51 had a tendency to feel like you were in it. The rearsets on the Ducati are much more relaxed than the RC51 as well. This leads to a much more comfortable ride.

The Ducati is going to take some getting used to when it comes to the noises it makes. The dry clutch causes that distinct Ducati rattle. I know there's nothing wrong with it, but it just sounds different. You can also hear the clutch as you launch from a standing start sometimes. A very disturbing noise the first time you hear it. The gearbox on the Ducati is smoother than the Honda. Gear changing is effortless.

The Honda felt more stable than the Ducati. The Ducati wants to turn as soon as you're thinking about doing it. It's not a bad thing. It's just going to take some getting used to when it comes to the lack of effort involved to make this bike handle. The bike makes you want to ride it. It's very inspiring. The Ohlins suspension seems to do a fine job of soaking up the road. It could use some adjustment like any other bike and with time I'm sure I'll get it dialed in.

The power plant of the Ducati is impressive. It's butter smooth as it builds power, and can roll on in pretty much any gear. With little effort I could roll the throttle on from about 70 mph and in no time you'll be pushing up over 100 mph without even really realizing it. At least, that's how it happened for me. Even at that point, the bike just wanted to keep going. I would have loved to have let it keep going, but common sense prevailed.

The brakes are powerful. Very powerful. My only complaint is with the front brake lever. The lever despite adjustments grabs late. It's more of a personal preference thing than a true issue. I'm probably going to change the levers over to Pazzo adjustables since I had those on my RC51 and I loved them. They make a great product.

These are just a few of my thoughts on the new bike. I'm sure I'll form more opinions as I get to ride it more. The first 30 miles doesn't really amount to much more than initial impressions. True opinions will be formed with time in the saddle."

This week I ordered a few things for it though. I ordered the Matrix Motosports Ltd. Edition Acculign rearsets (the cast ones just seemed out of place on a such a well made motorcycle), a set of Pazzo levers since I just wasn't feeling the stock ones and an Akrapovic slip-on. I didn't want to leave the stock cans on it and I found a decent deal on a set of Ti Akra's so I bought them. I can't justify a couple thousand dollars for the full Termi system that everyone raves about. First it's a lot of scratch, and second I'm never going to use the power that it offers anyway. The Akra's should give me a deeper sound that I'm looking for and should sound fantastic.

I had considered getting an Aprillia RSV factory, but when I was looking at them compared to the Ducati the RSV just reminded too much of my Honda RC51. It's not a bad thing to be reminded of since my RC was a great bike and I'd ride one again any day. It's just that for the amount of cash I was going to spend, I wanted something that looked and felt different. I don't think I made the wrong decision at all.

Good luck,
Shane
 
Doc,

buy the 1098 base, and use the $4k in savings towards upgrades. The 1098S's forged wheels are nice, but the Ohlins suspension bits are going to need work. Look for some threads here and on other forums re the 1098S's Ohlins, especially the plastic ring and how it's not sprung for people weighing below 230 pounds. Some people swear by them, but more people have gripes.

You might ride the base model and not feel the need for any upgrades, but at least this way you can buy the exact suspension components that you want as opposed to the Ohlins that come with the S.
 
thanks all...
as always you guys are awsome...

if i go with the 1098, which upgrades would you recommend for the $4 grand?
cans? frame sliders? mirror extentions? etc?

as for the color...i like all of them...but (sorry fellas) the yellow is my least favorite...if i get the "S" the black looks amazing to me

has anyone put on the kevlar 5.7 gal fuel tank? and if so what how much more than 100 miles/tank are you getting? (just curious if this should be something worth getting)
additionally,what cans (if any) are recommended to reduce any "boiling of the nuts"?

ciao
 
The S and Base deal has been quite an argument here lately....Base guys say "Base Base Base..." S guys say "S S S"....so without getting into that one all over again....here is what you get on top of a fantastic machine if you were to get the S....

1) Ohlin's suspension front and rear....rear has a top out spring the showa does not.

2)Adjustable steering damper by Ohlins

3)Forks on the Ohlins are Titanium Nitride coated Showa has Titanium Oxide for whatever it's worth.

4) Carbon Fiber front fender, and cam belt covers.

5) Ducati data analyzer (great if you're goint to track it)

6)Black Stainless cans instead of the Stainless cans of the base.

7)4 lbs lighter

8)Marchesini Lightweight forged aluminum rims.


Well, there you have it. Most important....the rims. If you get a chance to ride both the Base and the S, you will feel the difference. Less unsprung weight, and less moment of inertia. It's probably the most important performance mod you can make.

Hope this helps, me personally....I took the S, but for me the difference at my dealer was 3K between the two bikes. But even at 4, I think the S is the better deal. If you want black, it's the only deal...but hey....You get to have the fun of making up your own mind.

Have fun!
 
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